Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Mike Smith's avatar

Thank you John,

I love your writing. Prose poetry at it's best. As a word guy, I'm sure you know the name of the winds that blast down narrow fjords in high latitudes: Katabatic winds. Cooling off above the ice fields, the denser air drops and can funnel into slot canyons picking up speed and the force can become like a helicopter hovering directly over your head. These are worse in southern Chile because there is no large land-mass to stop Atlantic winds from crossing the Andes and accelerating down slot canyons of the old glacier carved fjords.

A gentler version from Sausalito, CA to Santiago, Chile is the coastal Pacific fog belt pouring over the ridge and dropping inland, or over the bay. In fact, the same phenomenon occurs in the ocean as this cold air cools the water, and the increased density causes it to flow down toward the Abysmal Plains; a cross current to the upwelling - all cause by variations in water temperature and friction from surface winds.

As cold air blasts across the ice sheets of the far north [or south] they cause another effect with a great name: polynya - from the Russian - an opening in the sea ice at the shore as the ice is pushed away.

Anyway, carry on, and thank your for sharing with us all.

Mike Smith in Napa, CA

Expand full comment
Scott Christianson's avatar

Thank you so very much!

Expand full comment
4 more comments...

No posts